The American spirit : who we are and what we stand for

Title:

Author:

Summary:

This collection of speeches by historian David McCullough reminds us of fundamental American principles. Over the course of his distinguished career, David McCullough has spoken before Congress, the White House, colleges and universities, historical societies, and other esteemed institutions. Now, as many Americans engage in self-reflection following a bitter election campaign that has left the country divided, McCullough has collected some of his most important speeches in a brief volume that articulates important principles and characteristics that are particularly American.

Edition:

Large print edition.

Contents:

Simon Willard's clock -- Civilization and the city -- The spirit of Jefferson -- Which way forward -- The animating spirit -- The lessons of history -- What's essential is invisible -- The first to reside here -- History lost and found -- The bulwark of freedom -- Knowing who we are -- The ties that bind -- The love of learning -- The summons to serve -- A building like no other.

Physical Description:

347 pages ; illustrations, portraits ; 23 cm.

Genre:

Large type books.

Speeches.

Personal Subject:

McCullough, David G.-Oratory.

Subject Term:

National characteristics, American.

Geographic Term:

United States -- Civilization.

Publisher:

Thorndike Press, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning,

Publication Date:

2017

ISBN:

9781432841959

Publication Information:

Waterville, Maine : Thorndike Press, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning, 2017.

Call Number:

LP 973 MCCULLO

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode

33607003248161

Collection

Large Print Nonfiction

Call Number

973 MCCULLO

Status

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

A New York Times BestsellerAuthor is the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards, and the Presidential Medal of FreedomAt a time of self-reflection in a divided America, historian David McCullough has collected some of his most important speeches in a volume designed to identify core American values to which we all subscribe -- regardless of region, political party, or ethnic background -- and help to guide us as we find our way forward.

Author Notes

David McCullough was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 7, 1933. He received a bachelor's degree in English literature from Yale University in 1955. After graduation, he moved to New York City and worked as a trainee at Sports Illustrated. He later worked as a writer and editor for the United States Information Agency, in Washington, D.C., including a position at American Heritage.

His first book, The Johnstown Flood, was published in 1968. His other books include 1776, Brave Companions, The Great Bridge, and The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris. He received the Pulitzer Prize twice for Truman and John Adams and the National Book Award twice for The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal and Mornings on Horseback. He also won two Francis Parkman Prizes, the Los Angeles Times Book Award, and New York Public Library's Literary Lion Award. Two of his books, Truman and John Adams, have been adapted into a television movie and mini-series, respectively, by HBO. In December 2006, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also made the New York Times Best Seller List in 2015 with his book The Wright Brothers, and in 2017 with The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

Historian McCullough (Truman; John -Adams), a Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning author, presents this -collection of 15 inspiring speeches in which he celebrates America's talent for curiosity, intelligence, goodwill, and humanity. McCullough is an eloquent writer, and the speeches are designed to be uplifting and celebratory. Amid all of the dissimulation and discourtesy that demands our attention, these brief essays celebrating national aspirations are intended to remind readers that, regardless of shortcomings, Americans have largely strived to better themselves and their country. Whether discussing the building of the U.S. capitol or the storied career of physician Benjamin Rush, -McCullough manages to celebrate the people who have helped improve or build upon the nation's founding. VERDICT A concise read that will be well-received in public and academic history collections.-Edwin Burgess, Kansas City, KS © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Excerpts

The American Spirit Simon Willard's Clock JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS Washington, D.C. 1989 Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Senator Dole, Members of the 101st Congress, ladies and gentlemen. For a private citizen to be asked to speak before Congress is a rare and very high honor and I thank you. Simon Willard was never a Member of Congress in the usual sense. Simon Willard of Roxbury, Massachusetts, was a clockmaker early in the nineteenth century and he did it all by hand and by eye. "In cutting his wheel teeth," reads an old account, "he did not mark out the spaces on the blank [brass] wheel and cut the teeth to measure, but he cut, rounded up and finished the teeth as he went along, using his eye only in spacing, and always came out even. . . . Excerpted from The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For by David McCullough All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Introduction	p. 11
Simon Willard's Clock	p. 17
Civilization and the City	p. 44
The Spirit of Jefferson	p. 63
Which Way Forward	p. 78
The Animating Spirit	p. 97
The Lessons of History	p. 116
What's Essential Is Invisible	p. 128
The First to Reside Here	p. 164
History Lost and Found	p. 176
The Bulwark of Freedom	p. 195
Knowing Who We Are	p. 213
The Ties That Bind	p. 246
The Love of Learning	p. 285
The Summons to Serve	p. 300
A Building Like No Other	p. 311
Acknowledgments	p. 339
Photo Credits	p. 341

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The American spirit : who we are and what we stand for

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

Excerpts

Excerpts

Table of Contents